This Civic Issues blog will focus on topics related to sustainability and the environment, which are currently facing significant challenges that require individual and collective action. The second blog gives insight into food waste, its effect on the environment, and ways to combat food waste to be more sustainable.
Food waste is when food that is intended for use or consumption is wasted or lost. It can occur at any point from the harvesting, processing, shipping, or even after the consumer buys it and simply throws it away. Not only does food waste have negative effects on the environment but it is also important to understand and combat because more than 800 million people worldwide are facing hunger. Reducing food waste could allow for more food to be given to those who are currently going hungry. To truly comprehend the magnitude of food waste it is stated that 2.5 billion tons of food are wasted every year, and this is enough to feed 3 billion people. Also, food waste alone contributes enough greenhouse gas emissions to rival every country except China and the US. So, how does food waste happen and who is contributing to this the most?
For developing countries, food waste mostly occurs at the retail or consumer level where food rots away in stores or people buy more than they need and end up throwing it out. This is especially true around holidays when there is impulse buying and an abundance of food that leaves more leftovers than people can eat. The most common foods wasted are produce items like fruits and vegetables because of short shelf-life spans. Yet, another reason so much produce is wasted is based on mere appearance. People do not buy food that has blemishes or otherwise has imperfections, leading to those items sitting on shelves and eventually being wasted. On the other hand, developing countries have food waste occurring at the farm and harvest stages. Food gets wasted at the farm level most often because farmers produce more than they can sell leading to the excess being wasted or they have inefficient farming practices. Overall, China and India have the most total food waste, but most per capita food waste is from countries such as Australia and Greece.
Food waste has detrimental effects on the environment as well. First, it leads to a loss in biodiversity, since producing this amount of food takes up much land, decreasing biodiversity. Yet this much land is not put to effective use if there is so much food waste, meaning the loss of biodiversity is for nothing. Subsequently, with using this land there is less forest coverage. Within 25 years from 1990 to 2015 1% of the forest coverage was lost. Although to many this may seem like a small number, this amount of forest coverage this equates to numerically shows how fast land is being used. Additionally, food production, especially meat contributes to global warming and greenhouse gas emissions, and food waste makes this number much higher than need be.
Beyond the environmental effects it also has socio-economic impact. World hunger is such an issue, yet it cannot be solved without working to allocate food properly and reduce food waste. For example, if food waste can be reduced by 25% then 870 million families can be fed, which is more than the number provided earlier of people facing hunger. People, companies and entire nations can improve their economies by reducing food waste as it accounts for trillions lost annually. According to the Waste and Resources Action Program (WRAP) each household could save on average $655 each year by eliminating food waste. This money could be better put to many other expenses, especially with the financial troubles of the pandemic.
The good news is that this sustainability issue we can take steps to solve. This issue each of us can take steps through individual action to solve. A person can actively think or plan out their meals for a week or two and buy as much as they need rather than throwing anything that looks good into their cart. Also, it is important to keep an eye on expiration dates when buying food so that person does not buy it and not use it before it expires. Many people use planned out meal preps as shown in the image on this blog to minimize their food waste. Another strategy is to give any leftover food to those who need it or may not be able to afford it, which solves not only the food waste issue but also world hunger. Another location for this leftover food is animals, such as chickens who are known for eating nearly any produce scraps. This not only can feed livestock, but it can make it cheaper for farmers who previously spent money on animal feed. Each of these methods work to make sure food is being consumed in some fashion, but as a last resort if food needs to be disposed or wasted the most sustainable method is through composting. The compost can have a use as fertilizer, again showing that food waste is a problem that when solved can make food use much more effective.
To understand how companies can do their part in reducing food waste is to look for new technology and processes such as improved storage methods, especially in developing countries, since in those countries a lot of food gets spoiled or damaged. Also, countries can develop plans and strategies to ensure food is being used effectively and not wasted. They can support organizations that are dedicated to reducing food waste as well.
Most importantly, this is an issue everyone can contribute to and has many benefits such as feeding those in need and reducing global emissions. Yet, many people to not think to actively watch how much they purchase and waste, so the first step to change has to be education and a change in mindset.
Information Links:
The Effects of Food Waste Will Destroy Our Planet (myethicalchoice.com)
Food Waste and Its Effects: Why It is A Global Issue (foodsciencenews.com)
What is Food Waste? | Earth.Org – Past | Present | Future
Surprising Ways to Solve Food Waste (nationalgeographic.com)
10 Ways to Cut Global Food Loss and Waste | World Resources Institute (wri.org)